Most days, Barbara Ellen MacLeod prefers cats to humans, and Friday was one of those days.
MacLeod’s Comfie Cat Shelter was already over capacity with about 140 felines when a woman arrived Friday afternoon with five kittens she’d found in a burlap bag alongside Highway 12, just outside Orillia.
The kittens, which MacLeod believes are not quite five months old, appear to be healthy. Despite the lack of space at the Norweld Drive shelter, she took them in.
“I thought, ‘What am I going to do?’ We are over capacity. We do not have enough help to take care of the animals. Our fundraising is down,” she said. “I’m tired.”
She vowed to find space for the new arrivals at the no-kill shelter.
“We’ll say some prayers and hope they get adopted,” she said.
The shelter receives calls from Simcoe County and beyond from people wanting to drop off cats. There were 15 calls on Thursday alone.
During an interview on Friday, a woman walked in and said she was looking for a home for a stray cat that’s been on her property.
“This is the worst year, in all the years I’ve been rescuing animals, for the number of cats being disposed of,” MacLeod said, noting she’s been rescuing cats for 25 years.
There are many reasons people get rid of their cats — they can’t afford them, they’re moving to a place that doesn’t allow pets, they have allergies — but MacLeod sees no excuse for dumping them on the side of the road.
“If you can’t afford to get a cat and have it fixed and vaccinated, don’t get one. Just don’t,” she said.
The shelter has an agreement with those who adopt from the facility that allows them to return the cats if necessary, in an effort to deter situations like Friday’s.
The non-profit Comfie Cat Shelter needs help, MacLeod said, and she’s appealing to the community for donations of money and food. She is also looking for volunteers.
For more information, contact the shelter at 705-326-1545.
